Italy is bidding on its famous Espresso coffee to feature on UNESCO’s heritage list. After conquering such feat with its Naples pizza back in 2017, Italy is convinced that the iconic Espresso is a reflection of the country’s culture and social lifestyle and well worth gaining an official heritage status.
1. UNESCO Heritage
The request for world heritage registration was sent by the Ministry of Agriculture to the National Commission of UNESCO for Italy, which must, in turn, submit it by March 31 to the headquarters of the UN agency in Paris. By springtime the Ministry will receive the final verdict.
“It is an authentic ritual and an expression of our sociality that distinguishes us around the world,” said Gian Marco Centinaio, the agriculture undersecretary, confirming that the application had been submitted.
Espresso quickly became an integral part of the national identity after its creation in Turin at the end of the 19th century. It was Angelo Moriondo, a Turinese, who patented the first espresso machine in 1884, however, it was a Milanese, Desiderio Pavoni, who was behind their mass production.
2. Espresso
A good espresso must meet certain requirements, though. According to the Italian Espresso Institute (IEI), a proper espresso is around 25 millilitres and its aroma should be “intense and rich with floral, fruity, chocolate and toasty notes.“.
The Espresso market is worth more than €4bn annually, with more than 90% of Italians drinking a cup of it each day, usually served in a porcelain cup, said the IEI.
“On the palate, the espresso must be full-bodied and velvety, with a fair dose of bitterness”, it is specified, without forgetting on the surface “a cream of hazelnut colour tending towards black, characterised by tawny reflections.”
The owner of the Sant’Eustachio café in Rome’s historic centre, Raimondo Ricci, said the humble espresso has the power to keep loneliness at bay, even when drunk alone, at home.
“Sometimes at home we make a coffee and we’re kept company by this machine which fills a room, fills a house,” he said recalling the “memories of happy times” brought by the aroma.
